Looking After the Finances

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 18, 1913

Looking After the Finances

Duties of the Church Missionary Secretary—No. 3

Looking After the Finances

It is the duty of the missionary secretary to keep the accounts of the business passing through his hands, and much of the financial prosperity of the society depends upon the way in which this is done. If no careful record is kept of the amounts owing by the members for the Signs and other periodicals, and of the books ordered by them, they are likely to be forgotten, and the burden of paying for them will be left upon the church. No church will run into debt if its missionary secretary brings these matters before the members promptly. If a member should leave the church with an account unpaid, the missionary secretary should bring the matter before the church, and steps should be taken to provide for the debt, that the church may not be burdened nor the tract society suffer loss. Such cases will be rare if the accounts are promptly collected.

Orders to the Tract Society

In no cases should orders to the tract society secretary be embodied in letters. A duplicate order-book should be used, so that the missionary secretary will have a copy of each order.

Be sure to fill out every order properly. It is very perplexing to receive an order to which no name is attached. In ordering books be sure to designate the binding desired, if there is more than one. Remember that legible penmanship is more desirable than ornamental letters, and strive to make the order plain.

Receipts

Many persons care but little for receipts, but some by sad experience have been taught their value. It often happens that failure to produce a receipt means that the money must be paid again. Receipts then become as valuable as cash. It does not do to place too much confidence in human nature. Forgetfulness is common to all, and business principles always call for business methods. The stub of the receipt-book enables one at any time to see just how much money has been receipted, and from whom received, and often saves much trouble.

Quarterly Business Meeting

At the close of each quarter the church should hold a business meeting, at which reports of all branches of the work should be presented in order that the members may be intelligent concerning the standing and progress of the church. At this meeting a statement of the financial standing of the society should be read. With this should also be given a report of the missionary work done during the past quarter. This will inspire confidence in the work of the missionary secretary and in the society itself. It will also awaken a deeper interest.

The amounts paid out, with the cash in hand, should equal the receipts for the quarter. Anything the society owes is a liability. An asset is anything the society has on hand which is of value, and all accounts due to it. If the assets exceed the liabilities, the difference is the present worth. If the liabilities exceed the assets, the difference shows the amount of indebtedness. The missionary secretary should always strive to have the assets cover the liabilities, and if possible have no liabilities.

If possible, train the church to do business upon a cash basis. The credit system is unsatisfactory and discouraging to every one. It always gives courage to the members to know that the society has a credit with the conference tract society. This cannot be unless the members pay promptly for goods ordered. Some missionary societies go to an extreme in this matter, and cripple the work by refraining from ordering tracts for the members to use, in order that the collections may accumulate so as to show a large credit balance. To keep every one at work, and at the same time keep all bills paid, is the most satisfactory policy. Members should be educated to pay cash with order for all goods for their own use; but in cases where books are taken to be sold, the profits to go to some phase of missionary work, the members cannot always be expected to pay cash for the books obtained.

When individuals cannot pay, the missionary secretary should enter in a notebook the name of the person taking the books and the number taken. The member taking them should sign his name to the entry, with the understanding that as soon as the books are sold, the money is to be paid for them, and that he is responsible either to pay for the books signed for or to return them in good condition.

The responsibility of liberality rests upon the society as a whole. Upon the missionary secretary the burden of having regular collections taken from the church and from individuals must rest. If those who owe the society for periodicals or books do not pay promptly, they should be visited at their homes and talked with concerning the work. Patient kindness and the love of God in the heart will do more than harsh, reproachful words. People do not like to be dunned for money, but they will, as a general rule, listen to gentle, candid reasoning; and if their interest is awakened

in the work, they will feel the burden of its support.

If efforts are made, many donations, aside from the regular offerings from the church, may be secured. The isolated members will respond if kindly asked and instructed by letter. Many of them will feel it a privilege to contribute of their means.

There is a profit to be made by taking orders for books. On books sold to church-members there is a discount allowed by the tract society. Some missionary secretaries make the mistake of giving the whole of the discount to the individual who makes the purchase. This is an injustice to the tract society, and a poor plan financially.

Systematic, persevering efforts in connection with well-laid plans, will give any local society a business management with which it may well be pleased.

Lines of Work

1. Tract work:— a. The package system. b. The Signs of the Times leaflet package. c. Mailing literature. d. Reading-racks. e. Miscellaneous distribution. f. Lending or giving to tradesmen and others who call. 2. Periodical work:— a. Taking subscriptions. b. Selling from door to door. c. Selling on streets and in stores on Saturday nights. d. Placing in racks, depots, and other prominent places. e. Posting regularly to libraries and reading-rooms. f. Mailing in connection with missionary correspondence, and to friends and relatives. g. Taking to hospitals, deaf-and-dumb asylums, and other benevolent institutions, and also to ships. h. Selling or giving to tradesmen and others who call. 3. Work with our books:— a. Selling. b. Lending. 4. Missionary correspondence:— a. To relatives and friends. b. To persons whose names will be supplied by the tract society. 5. Christian Help work:— a. Giving simple treatments. b. Helping the poor, and teaching them how to help themselves. c. Dorcas work. d. Visiting hospitals and sick neighbors, taking papers, texts, and flowers. e. Collecting for literature for the blind. 6. Holding Bible readings and cottage meetings:— a. In your own home. b. Among neighbors and friends who manifest an interest in the tracts and papers circulated. 7. Earning money for missions:— a. Selling papers and small books and giving the profits. b. Making missionary gardens. c. Keeping missionary hens and bees. d. Doing plain sewing, making articles of fancy work or useful articles of any sort, earning money by any kind of work, etc. e. Collecting for missions.

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